October 21st 2024.
On a beautiful Sunday morning in Las Vegas, J.T. Poston took the golf course by storm with a series of birdies, quickly establishing a comfortable lead for himself in both the morning and afternoon rounds. By the end of the third round, he was sitting comfortably with a three-shot lead. He continued his impressive play in the final round, shooting a 4-under 67 and securing a one-shot victory in the Shriners Children's Open.
From the moment he returned to finish the third round and sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, Poston never looked back. He followed that up with two more birdies, shooting a 66 and extending his lead to three shots. In the final round, he made three more birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine, giving him a four-shot lead with only three holes left to play. However, even with such a comfortable lead, Poston still had to stay focused and composed until the very last putt.
Doug Ghim, who shot a 65 in the final round, made a valiant effort to catch up to Poston. He even managed to close the gap to just one shot after making a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole at TPC Summerlin. But it was not enough to surpass Poston, who calmly lagged his 45-foot birdie putt to just 4 feet and confidently sank it for his third career PGA Tour title. With a final score of 22-under 262, Poston had secured the victory.
The pressure was on for Poston as he stood over that final putt. He had missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and a 4-foot par putt on the 17th, which could have easily ended the tournament sooner. But Poston remained focused and told himself, "This is what you dream of, a putt to win on the PGA Tour. Try to forget the last two." He reassured himself, "I've made a million of these. Just do one more."
This victory not only solidified Poston's spot in the upcoming Masters tournament for the third consecutive year, but it also moved him back into the top 50 in the world rankings. After taking some time off to spend with his newborn daughter, Poston returned to the course and had a successful comeback. This win also guarantees him a spot in the $20 million signature events and an early start at Kapalua for The Sentry, kicking off the new season.
Ghim, who finished as the runner-up, had his own chances to catch up to Poston. He even made an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole, bringing him within one shot of the lead. However, he missed a couple of key birdie putts and failed to convert a birdie on the reachable par-4 15th, while Poston continued to pull away.
Matti Schmid and Rico Hoey both shot a 66 in the final round, finishing tied for third. Schmid, who was ranked 125th in the FedEx Cup standings, has been on a hot streak lately. He tied for 16th in Mississippi, finished fifth in Utah, and now has a third-place finish in Las Vegas. He has moved up to No. 77 in the standings.
Another notable player was Michael Kim, who shot a 62 in the final round and tied for fifth place. His strong performance moved him from No. 129 to No. 112 in the FedEx Cup standings.
Despite his impressive lead, Poston admitted that the entire day was a struggle. He went 41 consecutive holes without a bogey until a missed putt on the 17th hole, and he led the tournament for the final 23 holes. But he never felt completely at ease, knowing that his opponent, Ghim, was playing great golf. Poston described his round as a "grind" and felt that he was just "plodding around" the course.
The PGA Tour will now head to Japan for the Zozo Championship before returning to North America for the final three tournaments of the season. It has been an exciting and competitive year for golf, and the action is far from over. Stay tuned for more updates and highlights from the world of golf.
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